1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an end of arm tool which may be mounted on an industrial articulating robot for the purpose of handling a variety of different types of article bearing trays for placing the trays in a packing box
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of different types of end of arm tools have been developed for picking up packages or trays to move them from one position to another. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,355,936 issued to Thomas et al. discloses an end of arm tool for transferring trays of eggs onto a conveyor. Although the tool disclosed in the Thomas et al. patent appears to provide a workable and efficient transfer device for egg trays, it does not have the capability for transferring the trays into a packing box for shipment through distribution channels.
The present invention provides a highly efficient end of arm tool that is designed for picking up trays holding various types of articles, but not limited to, such as vegetables, apples or other fruit and placing the trays in a packing box.